120 | New building to boost school’s capacity The new, two-storey building will accommodate an additional 600 pupils, bringing the school’s total capacity to 1200 students. COMMUNITY Hobsonville Point Primary School T T Karen Phelps It’s been 10 years in the making, but Hobsonville Point Primary School’s new expansion project is finally scheduled for completion by the end of the year. “In 2016 we had our first conversations with the Ministry of Education around roll growth in the area and started designs,” says Hobsonville Point Primary School Principal Daniel Birch. “The project faced significant delays when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2019, just as plans were nearing completion. However, sign-off was secured last year, with construction beginning in late 2024.” The new, two-storey building will accommodate an additional 600 pupils, bringing the school’s total capacity to 1200 students. The centrepiece of the expansion is an auditorium capable of seating 300 people for performances, complete with retractable seating and floor space suitable for dance and drama activities. Daniel says the auditorium will also help addresses a gap in community infrastructure:. “The auditorium creates a space for outside groups to use as well, so this will be an additional space for the area.” The new building will also house specialist learning spaces, including a hard technology workshop for woodwork, metalwork and plastics, a digital technology area equipped for design and 3D printing, a dedicated science laboratory, and a food technology room. Additional classroom spaces will also be incorporated throughout the facility. Daniel says students have expressed a mixture of frustration the project has taken so long, and excitement: “The best thing is we get some space back,” he says. “Having a number of relocatable buildings on-site, which we have had for years to accommodate student growth, takes away green spaces where kids play.” He says the building will also enable improvements to the learning environment. “We’ve got collaborative spaces in the school at the moment, which work for lots of our kids, but we knew we needed more breakout spaces and alcoves to accommodate some of our children who prefer a quieter environment.” Watts & Hughes Construction has managed the development. Watts & Hughes, which operates across multiple regions throughout New Zealand, has established a strong presence in the North Island since amalgamating its Auckland and Tauranga branches in 2010, later expanding to Canterbury following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The site manager, Oscar, is amazing,” says Daniel. “We meet weekly – they’ve been great and taken kids through the site with hard hats and high vis, put on sausage sizzles for them. Where the hoarding is they’ve put little windows in so the kids could watch what’s going on.” Daniel says the completion of this project marks the end of nearly a decade of waiting for adequate facilities at Hobsonville Point Primary. The school’s vision to offer a stimulating inclusive learning environment, which empowers students to contribute responsively and confidently in the changing world, will be significantly enhanced by these purpose-built facilities, he says. “The new building will not only serve the educational needs of the expanding student population, but will also strengthen connections between the school and the broader Hobsonville Point community. “With delivery scheduled for the end of 2025, the facility represents a substantial investment in the area’s educational infrastructure and community development.”
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